It's a small world for enemies, indeed!

Dongfang Xun sneered. The very person Ruan Jin wanted him to curse to death turned out to be the bidder who had just caused him such a huge loss.

With this new grudge piled on top of old ones, Xu Lai had truly run into eight generations' worth of bad luck by crossing him.

With chilling murderous intent, Dongfang Xun walked to the head of the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down right between Su Daiyi and Old Jiang Ba. Su Daiyi hesitated for a long time before finally biting her lip and saying, "Daoist Dongfang, this is Mr. Xu's seat. Your seat... is directly opposite."

Seating arrangements mattered, especially in a hierarchy. The more defined the social strata, the more one had to pay attention to such details. Xu Lai was currently the most renowned public figure in the Martial Dao of Jiangnan's thirteen cities and the benefactor who had helped the Su and Jiang Families advance further. As such, he deserved to sit in the seat of honor.

Although Dongfang Xun was a Daoist, he was a guest, having come from Hong Kong to the East Sea, and should rightfully take a secondary seat.

Old Jiang Ba also spoke up at the right moment. "Daoist Dongfang, Mr. Xu is a Martial Ancestor of Jiangnan. Is there perhaps some misunderstanding between you two?"

His statement was half warning, half peacemaking.

Xu Lai is a Martial Ancestor? Dongfang Xun was startled. That damn Ruan Jin. The intelligence he provided didn't mention this!

Normally, Dongfang Xun would have definitely shown some respect to these fat sheep before him, especially since the other party was a Martial Ancestor. But now, he coldly flicked his sleeve and said indifferently, "What? Am I, Dongfang Xun, not worthy of sitting here?"

"..."

No one in the room dared to speak; even Old Jiang Ba's face turned slightly pale. A Martial Ancestor was not to be insulted. Likewise, a Daoist was not to be insulted. Provoking one could bring great disaster upon oneself and one's family. Who would dare say Dongfang Xun wasn't worthy of sitting here?

Putting aside Dongfang Xun's personal strength, one only had to consider his master—the foremost Feng Shui practitioner in Southeast Asia, Li Sanbai. Li Sanbai was a legendary figure with countless glorious deeds to his name. The one event that truly made his reputation soar was the Spiritual Vein Project—creating Spirit Veins with Formations!

The moment this project was announced, it sent shockwaves throughout the Martial Dao World of Hua Country. One must know that forming a Spirit Vein is incredibly difficult. Despite the vastness of Hua Country, with its countless sacred mountains and divine waters, only ten Spirit Veins had been accumulated over the long river of time. Although the project was not completely successful, a Pseudo-Spiritual Vein with slightly weaker Spiritual Energy was still created in Harbour City, shocking people both at home and abroad.

Furthermore, Li Sanbai himself was a terrifying expert with strength comparable to a Great Martial Sect at the peak of the Ninth Grade. A single word from him could make the Inland and Harbour City tremble. Who would dare say his disciple was unworthy?

Luckily, Xu Lai didn't make a big deal of it. He took Yiyi and Qian Xiao to the seats directly opposite and smiled at Su Daiyi. "It's fine, I'll just sit here."

Though they were only a solitary trio, they exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure. Dongfang Xun's eyebrows lifted slightly. Worthy of a Martial Ancestor, indeed. Such an impressive presence is uncommon. Although Daoists do not practice the Martial Dao, their combat strength is nonetheless extraordinary. With my Great Perfection at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, my strength is comparable to the peak of the Eighth Grade in Martial Dao. A mere Xu Lai is beneath my notice!

"Uncle Xu, that old man is so pretentious," Qian Xiao whispered. "Can I hit him?"

"No. Someone could die," Xu Lai said, raising an eyebrow to stop Qian Xiao's outrageous behavior.

A mocking expression appeared on Dongfang Xun's face. So Xu Lai does have some self-awareness. With my methods, it wouldn't take even a second to kill a five- or six-year-old child.

But the words that made Dongfang Xun want to slam the table in anger came right out of Xu Lai's mouth. "He's just a frail old man. If you so much as touched him and he fell to the ground to feign an injury, could you afford the compensation?"

Qian Xiao scratched his head. That seemed to make sense.

Xu Yiyi said warily, "No wonder he doesn't look like a good person. Turns out he's a swindler."

"You're the swindler!" Having his true thoughts exposed, Dongfang Xun was overcome with rage. He slammed his hand on the table, his voice as cold as ice, "Xu Lai, are you declaring war on me!"

"You're not worthy." It wasn't Xu Lai who spoke, but Qian Xiao, who looked down his nose at the man. "Uncle Xu could blow you away with a single breath."

This was, in fact, the truth. Even Yiyi and Qian Xiao had the feeling—not an illusion—that they could easily crush Dongfang Xun. Xu Lai knew it was no illusion. These two youngsters hadn't been cultivating for long. The former had been personally taught by The Supreme Emperor for a few days, while the latter was practicing the innate Cultivation Technique of the Primordial Giant. One day of their cultivation was equivalent to ten years of arduous, self-taught practice for someone like Dongfang Xun. On the path of cultivation, a slow pace is not to be feared; what is feared is taking the wrong path, or never setting foot on the true grand road at all. The same principle applied to life.

Dongfang Xun was so angry his nose was practically crooked. Never since he began cultivating the 'Dao' had he been so belittled, and by two small children taking turns mocking him, no less! But if I make a move and get serious with two children, what will happen to my reputation? How disgraceful would it be if word of this got out!

Suppressing his fury, Dongfang Xun said, word by word, "I won't kill you today. But when you come of age, I will surely..."

"You probably won't live that long." Qian Xiao said matter-of-factly. "Old man, you must be eighty this year, right? You might not even make it another ten years, let alone fifteen."

"..."

Su Daiyi, Old Jiang Ba, Niu Guihua, and the others dared not even breathe, their eyes fixed on Qian Xiao in sheer horror. Although... what he said might be true, the man sitting across from them was Dongfang Xun!

"Good. Very good." Furious to the point of insanity, Dongfang Xun unexpectedly calmed down. He had to steady his mind and not forget the purpose of his visit. When the time comes to leave... I will ensure these two insolent children and Xu Lai die without a burial place!

Dongfang Xun gave the trio a cold look, exhaled a long breath, and said, "Let's begin the auction."

The tense, confrontational atmosphere in the room dissipated, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If a fight had actually broken out, the losses would have been immense, regardless of who won or lost.

"I've wasted breath on opening remarks for over ten years; I won't bother today." Dongfang Xun cut straight to the point. With a wave of his hand, a crystal-clear Jade Pendant appeared on the table.

The moment it appeared, it captured the attention of all the Family Heads in the room, their breathing quickening slightly. A Magic Artifact! Not only could it extend one's life, but it also had the miraculous effect of attracting good fortune and warding off disaster.

"This is a Jade Pendant blessed by my master, priced at thirty million," Dongfang Xun said calmly. "Wearing it long-term can extend one's life by ten years. If any of you Family Heads are interested, you should act quickly..."

Before he could finish, Wan Yuanshan of the Wan Family from East Sea clasped his fists and said, "Daoist Dongfang, esteemed Family Heads, my mother has been in poor health recently, so I'll be shameless and take this Magic Artifact first."

The others nodded without objection. According to the rules from previous years, there would be plenty more Magic Artifacts to come.

Magic Artifacts were divided into ten grades, ranging from the Mortal Instruments used by ordinary Cultivators to Treasure Instruments and Heavenly Instruments. Starting from Spiritual Artifacts, an item possessed a spirit, and the power it could unleash would significantly outclass even Heavenly Instruments.

What Dongfang Xun is selling can't even be considered a Mortal Instrument. It's just a piece of jade with a bit of Spiritual Energy added to it, and he dares to sell it for thirty million?

Xu Lai shook his head and sighed. "He's a swindler, all right. Not the kind that fakes an injury for a payout, but the kind that just scams you out of your money."

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